Internal-combustion engine.



H T. THOMAS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 6, I911.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

mimmsra noreacn r. THOMAS, OFLANSINQYMIGHIGAN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, igl fia Application filed November 6, 1911. Serial No.658,679.

T all whom may concern.

Be it known that 1, Homer T. InoMAs, citizen of the United States,residing at Lansing, county of Ingham, State of Michr.

gan, haveinvented a certainnew and useful Improvement inInternal-Combustion Engines, and declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same,

' such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, andkan object of myimprovements'is to provide an improved control for the gases which enterand are discharged from the combustion chamber. I attain this "object inthe device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichthe figureis a vertical section of an engine embodying my invention.

A, is the cylinder of a vertical engine, the combustion chamber being inthe upper end thereof.

B, is a piston adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder A.

C, is the crank chamber, which also serves as a compression chamber forthe charge beforeit enters the combustion chamber.

D, is the main shaft of the engine, and E,

is the crank-'which is connected with the piston B by the usualconnecting rod G, is'a counter shaft geared to the main shaft D so as tohave half the angular velocity of the latter. I

I, is a gear wheel on the shaft G, and H is agear wheel on the shaft D,by which gear wheels said shafts are connected to ha the requiredrelative angular velocity.

J is a cylinder parallel with the cylinder A, which may be cast integraltherewith. Said cylinder is closed at its upper end and at its lower endopens to the interior of the crank case C.

K, is a piston valve adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder J.

L, is an eccentric upon the shaft G, and M is an eccentric rod pivotedat its upper end to the piston valve K having an eccentric strap at itslower end passing'around the eccentric L.

Em is the exhaust port of the usual construction in two-cycle enginesand adaptedto be uncovered by the piston B at the lower end of itsstroke.

N, is an intake port extending throughthe walls of the cylinders J A andconnecting the'bores of said cylinders. The port N is so located that itshall be uncovered by the piston B at the lower end of its stroke afterthe port Em has been opened. K

b is a deflecting plate on the piston which the incoming charge from thecrank chamber C is deflected to the upper end of the cylinder in theusual way.

. O, is a port through the wall of the cy1- inder J, this port will beconnected with the carbureter so that the explosive mixture will bedrawn in through the port 0.

Q, is a port through the wall of the cylinder J above the port 0 adaptedto be un- B by.

covered andcovered by the upper endof the piston K. Thepiston K is ahollow cylinder closed at its upper end and'open to this1 cylinder J andcrank case C at its lower en P, is a port through the wall of the pistonK toward the upper end thereof.

S, is a port through the wall of said piston intermediate of its length.The port P is adapted to register with the port 0 and thereby to connectthe crank caseC through the piston K and cylinder J with the intake port0. The port S is adapted to register with the port N at the lower end ofthe stroke of the piston K to form a connection between the crank case Cand the cylinder A above the piston B. I

R, is a pipe opening into the otherwise closed upper end of the cylinderJ at B and into the port N at r.

scale.

The operation of the above described en gine is as follows :Theeccentric L and crank E have the relative position shown, 'the pistonBbeing at the upper end of-its this stroke the eccentric L has turnedthrough an angle of 90 degrees from. the position marked 1 to thatmarked 2. Dur ing this movement the piston K has moved The figure isdrawn approximately to,

upward compressing air above it in the v valve K having the arrangementand move-- upper end of the cylinder J and forcing said air throughthepipe R into the port N and from thence into the cylinder A above thepiston B, helping to force out the residual burnt gases. The lower edgeof the piston valve K uncovers the port N more or less, according to theservice for which the engine is designed, allowing a small quantity ofexplosive mixture to pass from the crank chamber G into the cylinder Aabove the piston B forcing out residual gases therefrom. The crank Econtinuing to turn, the piston B rises covering the ports N and Ba; andreducing the pressure in the crank case C. The piston valve K descendsduring the upward stroke of the piston B (the eccentric L moving fromthe position 2 to that marked 3) in the first place causing the ports 0and P to register, and admitting an explosive mixture through the ports0, P and the hollow piston K and cylinder J, into the crank case C tosupply the partial vacuum drawn by the piston 13. The piston valvecontinuing to descend the port P passes by the port 0 and the latter isclosed by the piston valve K. No explosion takes place on this stroke ofthe piston B. The piston B now descends to its lower dead center againuncovering the ports Em and N. The piston valve K continues to descendduring most of this stroke (while the eccentric is moving from 3 to 41:)causing the'port S to register with the port N and establishingcommunication ,between the crank case C and the cylinder A above thepiston B, thus admitting an explosive mixture to the cylinder A abovethe piston B. During the latter part of thedown stroke of the piston Bthe piston valve K has reached'its lower dead center and has again risena short distance. The piston. B n w rises closing the ports N and Excompressing the charge above it and again rising to the position shownin the drawing. An explosion now takes place in the cylinder A above thepiston B and the above described cycle is repeated.

The quantity of explosive mixture admitted from the crank casejustfollowing the explosion or working stroke depends upon the posit on ofhe lower edge of the piston valve K relative to the port N and this isdesigned and adjusted to secure the desired action.

- I t will be seen that by means of the piston ment relative to thepiston B above described, a greater amount of explosive mixture may betaken into thecrank case and a higher compression secured therein, thanis obtmned by the use of the working piston -alone-.:" In some casesthepi'ston valve K will be's'o proportioned that it will not uncover'the port N on its upward. stroke. It will be noticed thatthepiston'valveK is near of the burning gases are avoided.

the upper end of its stroke at the end of the. working stroke of thepiston B, and at the lower end of its stroke when the charge is admittedto the combustion chamber, therefore the pressure in the compressionchamber is less in the former case and greater in the latter than wouldbe the case if the compression was due solely to the movement of thepiston B. By proportioning the piston valve K the amount of the residualgases that are expelled at each cycle following the explosion stroke,may be controlled. If said valve is so proportioned that it does notuncover the port N on its up stroke then the gases remaining in thecombustion chamber,- when the port Ex is opened, are only expelled bythe air through the pipe or passage R; .if said valve is so proportionedas to uncover said port, the residual gases are expelled by the air tureflowing from the compression chamber under small compression through theport N; if the passage R is closed as by a cock at only the gases fromthe compression chamber will act to clear out the cylinder.

VVhilethe above gives in general the operation of my invention, I do notwish to limit myself to the construction as shown, since another type ofvalve oscillating or rotary, may be used in place of the piston valve bysacrificing the benefits obtained from use of the piston valve to aid insecuring increased crankcase compression and to furnish an independentsupply of fresh air for scavenging.

It will be noticed that the action above described is that of thefour-cycle engine and that by the use of the above described engine thedisadvantages of noisy valves, or valves directly exposed to t e hightemperature That a simple arrangement of the parts is provided wherebythe Workingcylinder is cleaned of the burnt gases contained therein atthe time ofthe exhaust by displacing these gases with a fresh charge offuel or air. That a motor is secured having a wide range of adaptabilitywith regard to economy of power; maximum power being obtained by givingtwo fuel charges for each explosive stroke, and economy secured by usingair instead of fuel to scavenge the cylinder.

What I claim is 1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination ofa cylinder, a piston adapted to reciprocate therein, said cylinderhaving an exhaust port and an intake port, means for opening said portstoward one end of the travel of said piston, a compression chamber,sail. piston adapted to compress an explosi'e mixture in said chambertoward Said end of the travel of said piston, said intake portcommunicating with said compression chamber, and .a valve adapted tosaid compression chamber, a reciprocating valve adapted to cover saidintake port and to uncover the same at each end ofits stroke,

and toward said end of the piston stroke, and connection between saidpiston and said valve whereby the latter has twice the periodoireciprocation of the former, sub

stantiaily as and for the purpose described.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston adapted toreciprdcate therein, a compression chamber, said piston adapted tocompress an explosive mixture in said chamber toward one end oi thetravel of said piston, an exhaust and an intake port in said cylinder,means for opening said ports toward said end of the travel of thepiston, said intake port communicating with said compression chamber, areciprocating valve adapted to cover said intake port and to-uncover thesame at each end of its stroke and at said end of the piston stroke, aconnection between said piston and said valve whereby the latter shallhave twice the period of reciprocation of the former, a cylinderinclosing said valve, conncction between the last named cylinder andsaid intake port, said valve and inclosing cylinder being arranged toact as an air pump to force air through said connection into the firstnamed cylinder at one end of the travel of said valve.

a. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston adapted toreciprocate therein, a compression chamber arranged to have an explosivemixture compressed therein by said piston, an exhaust and an intake portthrough the wall of said cylinder adapted to be uncovered by said pistonat one end of its stroke, said intake port communicating with saidcompression chamber, a reciprocating valve adapted to cover said intakeport and to uncover the same for thepurpose of admitting a charge ateach alternate return of said piston to said end of its stroke,connection between said piston and said valve whereby the latter shallhave twice the period of reciprocation of the former, a cylinderinclosing said valve and opening to said compression chamber at that endtoward which said valve is situated when it uncovers said port, saidvalve and inclosing cylinder being adapted to act as an air pump toforce air into said first mentioned cylinder at the opposite end of thestroke of said valve.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, :1 piston adapted toreciprocate therein, a compression chamber adapted to have an explosivemixture compressed therein by said piston, an exhaust and an intake portthrough the wall of said cylinder adapted to be uncovered by said pistonat one end of its stroke, said intake port communicating with saidcompression chamber, a reciprocating valve adapted to cover said intakeport and to uncover the same at each end of its stroke and at said endof the piston stroke, a cylinder inclosing said valve and communicatingwith said compress on chamher and a connection between said piston andsaid valve whereby the latter shall have twice the period ofreciprocation of the former.

6. The combination of the cylinder A, a piston adapted to reciprocatetherein, the

ing into said compression chamber, the exhaust port Em, an inlet'port N,said inlet port being adapted to be uncovered by said piston at the endof its working stroke, a valve K, a crank shaft D, said piston beingconnected to said crank shaft, a shaft G, an eccentric on the shaft Gconnected with said valve and a gearing connecting the shafts D and G sothat the latter shall have half the angular velocity of the former, saidvalve being adapted to cover said inlet port and to uncover the same ateach end of its stroke when said port is uncovered by the piston B.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a cylinder, a compression chamber, a piston adapted toreciprocate in said cylinder, means whereby the reciprocation of saidpiston shall compress an explosive mixture in said compression chamber,an'exh'aust port and an intake port adapted to be uncovered by saidpiston at one end of its travel, a cylinder J communieating with saidvcompression chamber, said intake port communicating with the cylin-(161' J, a hollow valve K adapted to reciprocate in thecylinder J and tocover said intake port and to uncover the same at each end of itstravel, a port 0 opening through the wall of the'cylindcr J, a port Popening through the wall of the hollow valve K and adapted to registerwith the port 0 and means for reciprocating said valve with twice theperiod of reciprocation of said pis' ton, the parts being arranged,substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In an internal combustion engine, the

compression chamber C, said cylinder opencombination of a cylinder, acompression v chamber, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder,means whereby the reciprocation of said piston shall compress an explosive mixture in said compression chamher, an exhaust portand anintake port adapted to be uncovered by said piston at one end of itstravel, a cylinder J communicating with said compression chamber, saidintake port communicating with the cylinder J, a cylindrical valve Kadapted to reciprocate in the cylinder J and to cover said intake portand to uncover the same at each end of its Travel, a port 0 openingthrough the wall of the cylinder J, a port P opening through the wall ofthe valve K and adapted to register with the port 0 and means forreciprocating said valve with. twice, the period of reciprocation ofsaid piston, a passage R connecting the closed end of the cylinder'Jwith said intake port, and means for admitting atmospheric air into theclosed end of the cylinder J above said valve, the parts being arranged,substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, acompression chamber, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder,means whereby the reciprocation of said piston shall compress anexplosive mixture in said compression chamber, an exhaust port andintake port adapted to be uncovered by said piston at one end of itstravel, a cylinder J communicating with said compression chamber, saidintake port communicating with the cylinder J, a hollow valve K adaptedto reciprocate in the cylinder J and to cover said intake port and tounco er the same at each end of its travel, a port 0 opening through thewall of the cylinder J a port P opening through the wall of the valve Kand adapted to register with the port 0, and means for reciprocatingsaid valve with twice the period of reciprocation of said piston, apassage R. connecting the closed end of the cylinder J with the intakeport, a port Q, through the Wall of the cylinder J, adaptedto beuncovered by said valve on it's downward stroke, the ports beingarranged, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. In an internal combustion cylinder, therein, a compression chamberarranged to have an explosive mixture compressed therein by said piston,an exhaust and an intake port through the wall of said cylinder adaptedto be uncovered by said piston at one end of its stroke, said intakeport communicating with said compression chamber, a recipengine, a

- rocating valve adapted to cover said intake port and to uncover thesame at each alternate return of said piston to said end of its stroke,a connection between said piston and said valve whereby the latter shallhave twice the period of reciprocation of the former, a cylinderinclosing said valve and opening to said compression chamber at that endtoward which said valve is situated when it uncovers said port.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHAS. P. TnoMAs, PHILIP J. BAKER, Jr.

a piston adapted to reciprocate

